Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Unfinished work on road worsens sanitation

K.N. Murali Sankar

Traders complain of mosquito menace, stink

MORE THAN EYESORE: Delay in completion of sprucing up of Mahatma Gandhi Road in Vijayawada, coupled with stagnation of sewage and rainwater, is contributing to health hazard.

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), which launched a sanitation campaign to usher in clean surroundings, has become a mute spectator to the overflowing sewage and stagnation on the Mahatma Gandhi Road, one of the arterial roads of the city.

The long-drawn process of construction of storm water drains and blacktopping of widened stretch of the road is taking a toll on the sanitary conditions on either side of the road, particularly after a spell of good rain.

Though the structures on either side of the road from Benz Circle to Raghavaiah Park have been demolished long ago, civil works to spruce up the road have been dragging on even till today.

Complaints galore

Adhikar Hotel junction is a classic example to showcase the sorry state of affairs of sanitation on the road. During the demolition, an underground drainage line between a mosque and Adhikar Hotel was bulldozed, causing inconvenience to shopkeepers and people who visit the shops located on the road stretch. Foul smell and mosquito menace are common complaints from people here.

"People visiting our shops are complaining about overflowing sewage and stink. No official is doing any thing about this," says P. Malleswari, proprietor of Fathima Tea Centre.

She says the owner of a restaurant adjacent to her shop closed his business following a drop in customer patronage. "How can we expect people to bear this nonsense?" she asks.

Owners of tea stalls and those who sell foodstuff are the worst sufferers in terms of loss of their business, while other shopkeepers complain about stink and lack of parking place in front of their shops. "We had to engage workers on our own to pump out the stagnated water. After all, we can't afford to create inconvenience to our customers," says Anne Lakshman, manager of Sweet Magic.

"It is very difficult to provide a way to our customers into the shop on rainy days.

The road in front of our shop resembles a canal," he complains.

VMC officials say they are on the job of reconstructing the underground drainage. "We have made the required markings and also prepared the estimates. Once the Discom shifts electrical poles, we will commence work on underground drainage, while the Roads and Buildings department will take care of levelling of the road," says D. Venkata Ratnam, city planner.

While he says that the work will be completed by the month-end, time overruns seen so far make it difficult for one to share the VMC's optimism.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

No smooth flow of traffic at Benz Circle
Unfinished work on road worsens sanitation
Enjoy new feel in Volvo lounge
Exquisite crafts up for grabs at exhibition
Service centres for physically challenged
Unit to trace missing persons
`Tribute to the trinity'
Around the City
In Vijayawada Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu